


Tied Shoelaces

by Sakunade



Category: K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Eventual Smut, Friends to Lovers, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Child Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Road Trips, Slow To Update, mentions of cheating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-04 06:36:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15835767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakunade/pseuds/Sakunade
Summary: Johnny and Jaehyun have been best friends since they could tie their own shoelaces. Their bond has remained a strong one over the years, despite the changing stresses of growing up and romantic relationships that have come and gone. When Johnny has to drive across the country for a family funeral, he naturally invites Jaehyun on the long ride for companionship. While cruising down the interstate, the pair get to talking about the ending of Johnny's last relationship and how long it's been since he's gotten laid. Jaehyun noticed the slight bulge at the front of his best friend's pants.





	Tied Shoelaces

**Author's Note:**

> So, in case you haven't noticed - I really like to start to fics but I really have a hard time finishing them. I have a lot that I want to get out for NCT, and I wish I had I more time to write.
> 
> For this fic, I think most of the warnings are straightforward, and will be updated as the chapters are added - there is some abuse in a memory of their childhood, and it will be mentioned. In my story, Johnny had grown up in an abusive home. The prompt was taken from a prompt board, and it was supposed to be a one-shot.
> 
> Supposedly. So much for that. I've also noticed that I write more for ships I don't ship as mains than the actual ships I do ship...I write JohnTae and JohnJae....but hardcore ship JohnTen, JohnWin, and Johnil (adding JohnCas to this).

Silence filled the room as Johnny stared at his best friend, phone dangling loosely at his side. “He’s dead Jae...the bastard is really dead,” he whispered, though his voice was like a scream in a library. The flickering of the TV cast an odd light across his face as he zoned out, eyes losing their focus as his mind reeled through 25 years of bullshit. Across from him, Jaehyun forced himself to avoid laughing at the irony, a cutting scoff under his breath as he shook his head and looked away.

“About damn time. That asshole didn’t deserve to live this long, not for what he did to you,” Jaehyun replied, rising from his seat on the floor to close the distance and jerking the phone from Johnny’s hand. The line had already been cut off, the entire phone call lasting less than two minutes and ending without so much as a goodbye, not that he would have expected as much.

The two of them had been hanging out as they usually did every Friday night, a tradition they started while in college of drinking and playing video games, when Johnny’s phone had started ringing. It was not unusual that Johnny would get calls on the weekend, being that he was incredibly popular with a wide circle of friends. There was nothing to not love about him – tall and gorgeous, well built with sharp eyes and broad shoulders. However this time, the incessant ringing wasn’t for his typical late night date or hook up. Instead, the name flashing on the screen bore the title “Sperm Donor’s Wife” - the one Johnny had assigned for his mother. That was the unusual part, in that she hadn’t called him in over three years, the last time being just after his father beat the shit out him for finding out his son was gay.

Jaehyun had been there for that incident, or rather, he could still hear the screaming and fighting that had echoed from next door. They had both gone home for the holidays during Christmas break, taking the long road trip from their university in Portland to the small town just outside of Chicago where they had grown up together. A child of no more than five years old when Jaehyun had moved from Seoul to the house next to the Seo family. Immediately he took a liking to the older boy who had lived there, the only other child close to his own age in their neighborhood, though Johnny was two years older and half a foot taller. Yet where Jaehyun’s family was warm and welcoming, Johnny’s had ever been inhospitable and unapproachable, and it didn’t take long for him to realize that Johnny’s family was far from normal, even at such a young age.

Many nights Jaehyun had spent laying in bed, listening to the rantings of the enraged drunk man next door, banging against the walls and shouting obscenities at whatever hour he deemed appropriate to come home, no doubt coated in the smell of liquor and smoke. Most of his wrath was taken out on his wife, but there were numerous times when Johnny was dragged from his bed into the fights over something as small as getting a B on a test, or leaving a toy outside in the living room. Often, it would result in Johnny coming to school with a fresh bruise on his cheek and a fabricated story of how he slipped down the stairs or ran into a doorknob. Yet the unspoken truth was apparent to everyone, and Jaehyun’s family took charge upon themselves to care for the older boy as if he were their own. They would invite him for dinner almost every night, and allowed him to study and practice piano with Jaehyun, giving him any and all chances to escape from the toxicity of his home, if even for a few hours.

So naturally, when Johnny was forced to explain why he had yet to bring a girl home for the holidays, and he accidentally slipped that he had a boyfriend at the time, his father went ballistic. Jaehyun and his parents had just finished saying grace over their Christmas dinner when the shouting started, the sounds of glass shattering as something was thrown through a window of the house next door. His mother warned him against going outside, but Johnny had been his best friend for the past 15 years. Jaehyun had opened the door in time to witness Johnny’s father pummeling down on him with all of his strength, the sound of blow after blow landing against the boy. Crimson blood trickled down the side of his face, matting hair down against his temple as his father’s hand found its way around the dark locks, forcing their eyes to lock together as he spat in his son’s face.

His fist balled, battering down hard against the bruised cheek and Johnny collapsed to the ground, coughing blood onto the pristine white snow. Yet he had no reprieve as his father’s foot connected with his side and the air left his lungs with a choked sob. “Get the fuck out of my house, you disgusting piece of shit! I didn’t raise no ass-fucker in this house! Don’t you ever come back here, you hear me, faggot?!”

The cruel words reverberated in Jaehyun’s ears as much as they did Johnny’s. His mother held him in place on the porch, her iron-like grip preventing him from running to help his friend while his own father rushed forward to place himself between Johnny and the man beating him. “Enough Seo! He’s your son!”

“He’s no fucking son of mine! I have nothing to do with that ungrateful piece of shit! I bet he got that way from always hanging out with that fucking bitch ass son of yours! Fucking queer little sl-”

The drunken man’s tirade cut off mid-sentence as a fist collided with the side of his jaw, knocking him to the ground, disorientation dancing across his face as glanced up. Above him stood Johnny, white-knuckled from the tightness of his fist, blood from the fresh cut on his father’s face coating his fingers. In the midst of the chaos, no one had noticed when Johnny had stood, dragging himself to his feet the moment Jaehyun had been mentioned. “Fuck you, asshole. He has nothing to do with this. Don’t you worry, I’ll leave and you won’t ever see or hear from me again. You were never a father to me, and you disgust me. So don’t fucking worry, I won’t come back here.”

With a short glance at his mother, who was cowering beside her husband in an attempt to help him up, Johnny waited for her to say something….anything to either of them. Yet no words were ever spoken and with a heavy sigh, Johnny shook his head before he turned and staggered towards the adjacent porch, with Jaehyun quick to support his weight and tall frame, with their shared mother following behind to help tend to the cuts and bruises along his face and hands. Outside, Jaehyun’s father stood as the sole barrier between his home and that of the Seo family. “What the hell, Seo….you just disowned your own son, for being who he is and honest with himself? What sort of person are you?”

“Mind your own fucking business, Jung Minseok. Acting so fucking high and mighty, like you did a better job of raising that little bastard better than I did. He’s a little cocksucker, just like your faggot son. They make a pretty fucking pair, don’t they?”

A bitter chortle echoed through Minseok’s throat as he nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets as he turned away from the pathetic man rising to his feet, more to avoid adding a few throws of his own rather than to keep them warm from the biting cold weather circling around them. “You know….after living here for close to 15 years now, I think it’s time for a change of scenery. Something a little cleaner and fresher, I hear Connecticut is really pretty around this time of year. Might be time to look into selling this old place now that the boys are grown. We only stayed because Jaehyun begged us not to leave his friend behind, but there isn’t much reason anymore. And yeah, they would make a pretty pair, if that’s what they both wanted, but...well...it’s not in the cards for them, yet. Maybe one day though...anyways, you may want to get inside before you draw more attention and tend to that bruise forming. Looks like Johnny at least learned how to land a decent blow from you. Goodnight, Jihun. Merry Christmas.”

The morning after, the Jung family woke to a duffle bag outside of their porch, and a note attached from Johnny’s mother, a half-assed apology for not being able to have done more for her son. A few of his personal belongings were inside, and a small amount of cash that she had apparently concealed from her husband and his gambling addictions. Outside, somehow the windshield to Johnny’s car had been smashed to pieces and decorated with a few choice words along the side. Jaehyun’s father offered his old Chevy for the boys to return Portland, as he had been looking to sell it anyways. A short round of goodbyes, and a final glance at the shithole he once called home, Johnny climbed into the driver’s seat and they were gone, the house retreating in the rearview mirror as he sped away.

That had been almost three years ago, the winter before Johnny had graduated from college. Jaehyun’s family had moved within the week, leaving the deteriorating suburban home in exchange for a larger home in western Connecticut just down from the mountains. His family had continued to accept Johnny as he was, never questioning or pressuring him, as did Jaehyun. Their friendship had sustained every obstacle that had been placed in front of them, from failing college exams to the drama of their respective bullshit relationships. And now, when Johnny’s gaze fell to Jaehyun, the culmination of all those years of unending friendship lingered in his dark eyes.

“Will you come with me? It’s next weekend. I need to go...to make sure he’s really gone,” Johnny forced out, swallowing heavily. His mind wandered in a thousand directions, an array of emotions swelling and circling inside, and all of them pulled him from the weight of the news, the realization not having fully dawned on him yet. “I mean, I can’t really afford a flight so I’ll be driving….and it’s a long trip to make alone. I’d like it if you kept me company, help me stay sane on the way….if you want to.”

There was no hesitation when Jaehyun smiled up to his friend, eyes forming beautiful crescents as he nodded. His hand reached up to brush some of the loose strands of hair back from Johnny’s face, the touch lingering for a moment longer than it should have, yet neither of them acknowledged it. “Of course, Johnny. We’ve always been there for each other, I wouldn’t let you go back there alone. Do you….do you want to keep hanging out tonight though? I know you’ve suddenly got a lot on your mind. I can go if you want to be al-”

“No, stay. I want you here,” Johnny blurted out, his hand wrapping around the narrow wrist at Jaehyun’s side. He didn’t know why he felt the desperate urge to cling onto to Jaehyun, his support and anchor, but at the moment, it was as if it was the only stable thing in the room, a pillar of strength that kept him together. Dark eyes trailed down to their hands, Jaehyun’s hand looking incredibly soft compared to his own. “Let’s...just...drink and hang out...”

“Alright,” was all that came from Jaehyun as he led Johnny back to the couch and plopped down, handing another beer to his friend and opening one for himself. No other words were spoken for the rest of the night, not even when Johnny passed out with his head resting in Jaehyun’s lap with the streaks of dried tears that he had tried to hide staining his cheeks. Instead, Jaehyun just let his fingers brush through the thick head of hair, soothing and calm in his best effort to bring some level of peace to Johnny. He could even forgive the trail of drool dripping from the older’s mouth onto his leg, just to stay in this moment.

The week dragged by with increasing frustration, as the stress of the impending road trip started to weight down on Johnny. He found himself snapping at every little thing, including his boss at the radio station he worked for, who thankfully was aware of the situation and upcoming funeral. However, when Thursday morning came, the sun barely above the horizon and Jaehyun stepped off the bus in front of his apartment, Johnny felt his shoulders rise with renewed strength. The two rarely saw each other during the week, their jobs keeping them on different schedules as Jaehyun worked the standard 9-5 in an office clinic while in med school, and Johnny worked overnights at the radio station.

Johnny threw his bag in the back of the old Chevy, now with significantly more miles and wear for show than had been when Jaehyun’s father had given it to them. Jaehyun never cared for it, and so he let Johnny keep it for himself as he preferred public transportation over the busted old pick-up. The style had never suited him as much as it had Johnny, and he hated admitting that Johnny looked fucking good driving it.

“Hey...you made it,” Johnny said, a hint of surprise behind his deep voice. He unconsciously reached behind him, scratching his neck as he quickly looked down at the bag in Jaehyun’s hand. He took the bag and tossed into the back, landing next to his own and the stash of snacks that Johnny had piled up for the trip. “Uh….thank you again for this, Jae. I really can’t explain how much it means to me.”

“Eh, it’s nothing really. You would do the same for me. Besides, I was overdue for a vacation and I figured why not go on a road trip with my best bro? What highway are you planning?” Jaehyun looked at the map Johnny had sprawled out across the rusted tailgate of the truck, noticing the line of dots and marks along the way. “84 all the way down to 80, then over?”

“Yeah,” Johnny grunted in agreement. He traced the highway with his finger, tapping at the major cities along the way. “The most direct route keeps us on the main roads, so easy for pee breaks and shit. Figured we would stop in Salt Lake, get a cheap motel and then continue on from there.”

“Lovely, as always, Johnny. It amazes me how you’re still single,” Jaehyun teased. He nudged the older with his shoulder, grabbing the map and folding it haphazardly. He yanked the door open, hinges creaking and straining with the force as it swung open and he slid into the worn leather seat and looked in the mirror. “Let’s get going if you want to make good time.”

Johnny nodded, slamming the gate shut and taking his seat. Sighing, he gripped the wheel and closed his eyes. To his right, he felt Jaehyun’s hand land on his arm, and he glanced to the side to find Jaehyun staring at him with far too much intensity. There was concern and compassion behind his gaze, a soft smile tugging at his cheeks.

“Hey, we got this. It’s the last time you’ll ever see him and he can’t do anything to you anymore.” Jaehyun tightened his hold on the older’s arm, before turning to the radio. “Now, what kind of music do you get in this piece of shit car?”

*****

Most of the drive was simple, once Jaehyun discovered that the radio no longer worked and the air conditioning had been broken for ages, and a road trip in the middle of the humid Portland summer was suddenly not a good idea. The result was a pouting, whiny man-child in the passenger seat and an increasingly frustrated driver behind the wheel. Jaehyun had attempted to sing a number of songs himself, using a brush as a microphone followed by a (not very) rousing game of I Spy, which Johnny was having none of. 

“Seriously dude, you’re no fun. This is why you’re single,” Jaehyun said, five hours into their drive after Johnny threatened to throw his iPod out of the window. It had been enough to stop Jaehyun singing the entire collection of Disney discography, from every major film and all of their appropriate sequels. Both the guys and the girl parts, which was surprisingly impressive given the vocal range needed to accomplish that. “How much further do we have?”

“That’s not why I’m single, Jae. Besides, we’ll take a break and get lunch in Boise, stretch out and stuff. Your singing is terrible and I need to destroy my ears with something sharp,” Johnny answered, glancing down at the digital clock glued to the dashboard. 185,000 miles on his baby, give or take. She was old and worn, but he loved her just the same. Outside, small hills and trees rolled by, the terrain and landscape all blending together in a continuous blur of greens and browns. Farmhouses lined either side of the highway, expanses of space between them and Jaehyun swore there were more cows than people in this area.

They passed a road sign as Johnny drove: Boise - 45 miles. Jaehyun was starving, his stomach growling for much-needed food and he could hardly imagine how (un)exciting Boise would be. They had made a quick pit stop at a small dingy gas station a couple hours back. A brief in and out, not lingering too long as it looked far too similar to the gas station in The Hills Have Eyes, complete with the creepy guy working behind the counter. Jaehyun purchased a new round of snacks, double checking the tires and back seat before hopping back in. He shook the idea from his mind, not wanting to remember that particular place.

“Alright so talk, let’s kill some time. Why are you single then? It’s been a while, but weren’t you dating someone? What happened to that one guy? Big guy, from Hong Kong?” Jaehyun asked, turning in his seat with his leg tucked under himself. He propped his arm against the headrest, watching Johnny as the other ran a nervous hand through his hair, exposing his forehead.

“Uh yeah...we broke up a while back, in March. Wasn’t exactly working out, you know?” 

Jaehyun chuckled, a flash of his teeth as he nodded. “Yeah, he didn’t seem your type. Too loud...always. Morning, night, all day, every day. Sounded like it was good though,” he replied, amused as Johnny shifted uncomfortably.

There had been more than one or two nights Jaehyun had swung by Johnny’s flat unannounced with cheap takeout in hand, catching Johnny going at it with his lover. He hated to admit to himself that on more than one or two nights, he actually waited outside the door of the apartment, listening to them, and ignoring how turned it on made him. He stood there, lurking, like a fucking sick pervert with the sounds of Johnny fucking into ‘Xuxi’ and Jaehyun wondered if it would ever be him. He would wait a few minutes until the thick moans and sounds of a worn out bed creaking slowed and ended. The food would be left on the doorstep with a small note and a smiley face. He would text Johnny on the bus home, before jacking off in a cold shower, fingers buried in his ass and moaning Johnny’s name through the water. The number of times he did this almost disgusted him. 

Jaehyun didn’t know when it happened, but there was a point in which he realized he was truly in love with Johnny. He had been unaware of it for most of college, until one morning after a night of clubbing and waking up next to some random dancer he picked up. He wished more than anything it had been someone else. There was only one thing he thought about, one person, actually, that Jaehyun wanted to see and hold - Johnny. That had been almost a year ago, and he had yet to take the initiative to do anything. The timing was never at an opportune moment, either one or both of them were in a relationship, or one lost their job….or now a parent.

“I...yeah, it was good, I guess? I mean, I actually found out that he was fucking some dancer at a club, so you know...wasn’t really an amicable breakup.” It was subtle, the way Johnny’s hold on the steering wheel shifted and he leaned to the side, propping his arm outside of the open window. Silence filled the cabin of the truck, save for the sound of the wind filling the small space and the fresh air. “Anyways, yeah, we broke up and I’ve been focusing more on the radio station.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate, I’m really sorry to hear that. You’ll find someone else. Besides, who calls themselves Xuxi? He probably smelled like rotten raw fish,” Jaehyun remarked, earning a boisterous laugh from Johnny. It was a warm sound, pleasing to Jaehyun’s ears and he honestly loved hearing it.

“Well, he did like to eat a lot of meat and proteins. Never could get him to eat more fruits. What about you though? What was your last relationship?”

This time it was Jaehyun’s turn to give a short sarcastic snort. “Mine? Taeyong. He was a good fuck, but that’s about all he was good for. He had a lot of….interests, I suppose you could say.” Jaehyun remembered the boy quite well, and the things he would ask Jaehyun to do for him. His preferences for bedroom activities had been quite a stray from the norm. “It was mutual, he was more open than I was, and I didn’t want to be greedy so we agreed to end it. We hooked up a few times after but kept it strictly as Friends with Benefits type thing.”

An assertive hum came answered Jaehyun as Johnny nodded. Another road sign had slipped down the side of the road, showing the exit was just a few more miles ahead. “We’ll take the next exit and get something to eat. What do you want?”

Jaehyun thought for a moment, his finger tapping against his chin as he considered the options. Not that there were many, but as delicious as Fritos, Doritos and beef jerky were, they were a far cry from actual, sustainable nutritious food. But they were also driving through the midwest and there was one thing he knew the midwest was always good for.

“Meat.”


End file.
